Pull Down the Blind..., from the Magic Changing Cards series (N223) issued by Kinney Tobacco Company 1889

This small card, made by the Kinney Tobacco Company in the late 19th century, is from a series called "Magic Changing Cards." Its simple image of a window blind and accompanying text point to a fascinating tension between public behavior and private life. Made in America during a time of rapid urbanization and industrialization, this card reflects anxieties about maintaining decorum and privacy in increasingly crowded urban spaces. The text warns the viewer to "Pull down the blind every night, but your neighbors might laugh and perhaps will you chaff should you happen to turn on the light." This suggests that maintaining privacy was not just a personal matter, but a social expectation, enforced by the gaze and judgment of one's neighbors. The institution of neighborhood watch seems already on its way. To fully understand the cultural nuances of this image, we can consult periodicals, etiquette manuals, and social histories of the period. These resources help us to understand the complex negotiations between individual autonomy and social conformity.